Health Experts Recommend Sugar Tax To Fight Obesity

BOSTON (CBS) – New recommendations on a way to curb obesity levels in the U.S. are bound to cause some controversy. As Dr. Mallika Marshall reports, a government advisory committee says putting a tax on sugary treats could make a difference and that’s not the only advice.

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, made up of fourteen health experts, just released a report on how the U.S. government should tackle the nation’s obesity problem. The committee only makes recommendations, not policy, but the experts say we should consume no more than 10% of our daily calories from refined sugar, and one suggestion was to tax foods and drinks high in sugar.

Dr. Barbara Millen, the chairperson of the advisory committee, says, “We (in the report) discuss examples of different strategies from consumer education to counseling to also the potential for taxation which has been used as a strategy, not simply for sugar consumption but in countries around the world for directing food choices and food purchasing activities of consumers.”

Other notable recommendations? Eat less red and processed meats, and the committee placed an emphasis on sustainability, like eating farm-raised fish.

As it stands, 70% of adults and a third of all kids are overweight or obese in this country.